Qatar, France sign fighter jet deal amid Gulf crisis

Qatar announced Thursday a deal to buy 12 French-built Rafale fighter jets, as it faces a boycott by neighboring Gulf states in the region's worst political crisis in years.The 1.1-billion-euro ($1.3-billion) order, announced during an official visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, allows for an option to buy a further 36 jets.

It comes on top of a 2015 agreement on the purchase of 24 Dassault Aviation-built Rafale warplanes. Also on Thursday, Qatar Airways announced a 5.5-billion-euro ($6.4-billion) deal to buy 50 Airbus A321 passenger planes, with an option for 36 more.

The two countries also signed a three-billion-euro ($3.5 billion) deal on the operation and maintenance of the Doha Metro, currently being built as the country prepares for the football World Cup in 2022. The lucrative contracts were inked in the presence of Macron and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Qatar also signed a letter of intent to buy 490 VBCI armored vehicles from Nexter, a French government-owned weapons manufacturer, in a potential deal worth 1.5 billion euros ($1.7 billion), the Elysee said.